Spina bifida is a birth defect in a baby’s neural tube. The best preventative method is to take a folic acid supplement in the weeks before and after baby’s conceived. It’s important to do this if you’re trying to conceive because baby’s neural tube closes around days 49 to 56 — and often, that’s about the time women realize they’re pregnant. You should be taking a minimum of 400 micrograms of folic acid — most prenatal vitamins have about 800 micrograms....
When it comes to her infant daughter’s weight, Caroline Stanley has heard it all. “Mushy, huge, enormous, gigantic and chunky monkey, among other things,” she lists in a Refinery29 article. Stanley actually found it funny the first time a stranger ever pointed out her baby’s weight—but when it kept happening, she stopped laughing. “At this point, I can’t take my daughter out in public without some stranger commenting on her size,” she writes....
There’s nothing as heartbreaking as hearing baby cry. After all, you always want your child to be happy and healthy. But babies are going to cry—a lot! It’s part of their hardwiring, and wanting to ease their discomfort is part of yours. As you start to figure out what causes baby to cry—and what to do when baby won’t stop crying—it will get easier to manage (we promise!). Until then, though, the non-stop crying can be overwhelming and, at times, incredibly frustrating....
The first year of baby’s life was all about feeding schedules and did-they-eat-enough worries, and then the excitement (and stress) of introducing of new foods, textures and flavors to your little one. That was the easy part. You’ve now entered the toddler years, when vocal, mobile and opinionated tots wield their new-found spunk against your best-laid healthy eating plans. “Parents often panic now because their toddler starts rejecting foods,” says Yamileth Cazorla-Lancaster, DO, a pediatrician in Yakima, Washington and host of the podcast Veggie Doctor Radio....
And the Winner Is: Newton Baby Crib Mattress When you’re a new parent, you dream about sleep—literally. And you’ll do everything in your power to ensure little one gets some solid zzz’s. This tall order starts with setting up a comfortable and safe sleep space. While you might not think twice about the mattress you buy for your own bed, you’re sure to obsess over the one you get for your baby’s crib....
Behind that gummy smile there’s a lot going on inside baby’s mouth. The Brush Buddies toothbrush makes adopting good dental habits easier on parents. An LED light and light motion timer let you see baby’s teeth and signal just how long to brush for. Plus, with super-soft bristles and gentle vibrations that massage teeth and gums, baby will look forward to every scrub session. WHAT WE LOVE Goodbye goopy anesthetic gels!...
The most important way to keep baby safe on the changing table: Make sure she doesn’t fall off. That may sound silly, but we definitely get phone calls about babies who roll off the bed or changing table—before their parents even think they can roll! The lesson here? Never leave baby unattended. It’s also important to make sure all creams and medicines are out of reach. You never know what they’ll try to put into their mouths....
Our son was born with a case of jaundice bad enough to send us home from the hospital with a bili-blanket to fight it off. Luckily, we only needed to use it for a few days before his enzyme levels were better. (He also got a black eye from delivery, but it didn’t hurt him and caused no permanent damage. It just made him look like a boxer for a couple of weeks)....
Luckily, most of us don’t have a problem consuming enough protein. But you should definitely pay attention to how much you’re consuming during pregnancy. Protein is critical for baby’s growth — especially in the second and third trimesters. Aim for three to four servings (for a total of 60-75 grams) of protein daily, such as these protein-packed picks. Eggs. Start the day with an egg-white omelet. Five large egg whites will give you 20 grams of protein — not a bad way to kick off the morning....
Ask almost any parent of multiples whose children are out of infancy, and they’ll tell you the secret to maintaining their sanity in those early days was getting those babies on the same schedule. Think of it this way: It can take up to an hour for just one feeding, and newborns have to eat every two to four hours. If you feed them one at a time, you’ll be going back-to-back for much of the day (and night)....
Why do so many toddlers love getting undressed, no matter where they are? Because they can! Literally: They’re flaunting the fact that they know how to take off their clothes. On top of that, being naked just feels better than those oh-so-confining tops and bottoms. Unfortunately that’s not easy to explain to the woman giving you dirty looks in the produce section as your son is trying to take off his pants....
Once you’ve done your research and decided on the best bottles for baby, there’s still another step to consider: how to clean them. Whether you’ve chosen glass, plastic or silicone bottles, you’ll have to keep them as pristine as possible to protect baby’s developing immune system. If you listen to advice from your mother or grandmother, you might be fretting over how to sterilize baby bottles—but nowadays sterilizing baby bottles isn’t absolutely necessary, except in certain situations....
Once you’ve done your research and decided on the best bottles for baby, there’s still another step to consider: how to clean them. Whether you’ve chosen glass, plastic or silicone bottles, you’ll have to keep them as pristine as possible to protect baby’s developing immune system. If you listen to advice from your mother or grandmother, you might be fretting over how to sterilize baby bottles—but nowadays sterilizing baby bottles isn’t absolutely necessary, except in certain situations....
After nursing her first daughter for nearly six months with virtually no problems, Meagan E. suddenly found herself in a lot of pain. “When I first experienced symptoms, it was primarily tender, hot, swollen spots in my breast,” she says. “It seemed to happen at times when my daughter’s nursing needs or habits changed and my body was trying to adjust. I was still producing milk, but she wasn’t eating as much, and I wasn’t pumping as much at work....
When PR maven Connie Wong set out to design her agency Moderne Press’s new office space, she didn’t know she’d soon be decorating another room to spend even more time in: her first child’s nursery. Toward the end of her second trimester, Wong and her husband set out to renovate the home office of their San Francisco Bay Area rental condo, adding patterned wallpaper and white paint to make the room a cheerful and light-filled space for their now 1-year-old Kate....
I’m due to pick up my boy at 4:40 on the dot from daycare. That means I must leave work by 4:30. The problem? It hasn’t always been happening. You see, to save on child care cost, and to minimize the time our son spends at daycare, my husband and I agreed to change our work schedules to opposite shifts. Monday and Tuesday, I work 8-5. He works 12-9. Tuesday and Thursday, it’s opposite....
The aches that come with pregnancy can be a pain in the butt—literally. They can also be a pain in the pelvis. According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), roughly one in five pregnant people will experience pelvic pain while pregnant. It can originate in the groin region and radiate into your lower abdomen, stomach and/or perineum. In other words, it’s not particularly localized—and it can really put a cramp in your style....
Now that you’re eating, sleeping and even breathing for two, donning the spandex and getting sweaty might be the last thing on your mind. But during pregnancy more than ever, exercise is important. After all, you’re working out for two too! While exercise may have once been used to shed pounds pre-pregnancy, now that baby is on the way, you’ll be watching the scale move in the opposite direction. So maintaining a healthy routine of pregnancy workouts will help you bounce back after baby—and get you both in fighting shape for the big birth day!...
If your milk production is low, formula may be necessary. However, see a board-certified lactation consultant to find out if there’s a way to increase your milk production so you don’t have to use formula. Usually this is possible. In answer to your question, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months (solid foods are started then) is necessary for your baby to receive the full effect of breastfeeding from a health standpoint....
It’s that time of year again: Submissions for The Bump’s Best of Baby awards are now open! Every year, The Bump editors scour the internet to find the safest, most innovative, cost-effective and splurge-worthy baby products to make parents’ lives just a little bit easier. But, like in previous years, we need your help to do it. We’re calling in baby products that are thoughtfully designed, offer supreme functionality and are highly innovative....
